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Grounds Management Heroes Celebrated at GMA Awards

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Grounds Management Heroes Celebrated at GMA Awards: The very best in the grounds management industry were celebrated at a dazzling evening at AMT Headingley Stadium, hosted by award-wining sports broadcaster, Hayley McQueen.

Over 300 attendees from across the sports turf industry, from grounds staff to grounds care businesses and representatives from sport’s National Governing Bodies, all gathered at the iconic AMT Headingley Stadium for an evening of celebration.

Grounds Management Heroes Celebrated at GMA Awards

Grounds Management Heroes Celebrated at GMA Awards

The awards recognised leadership, innovation and outstanding achievement across every aspect of grounds care, from grassroots pitches to professional stadia, over 17 categories.

Attendees celebrated new talent emerging on the scene, with two female winners of the Young Groundsperson of the Year and Newcomer of the Year award categories, whilst long-time industry stalwarts were honoured with Hall of Fame inductions and GMA Grounds Manager of the Year awards.

The awards ceremony recognised outstanding achievements in public and private sports venues and highlighted the progress of young grounds professionals as well as outstanding performance in environmental practices. Also new to 2023 was a Special Recognition Award which shone a light on a unique and inspiring individual who represents everything that is positive about the industry.

Geoff Webb, CEO of the Grounds Management Association, commented on the success of the evening:

“The GMA Industry Awards are always an important evening in the industry’s calendar. With the industry playing such a vital role in the country’s enjoyment of sport, it’s hugely important that we come together to celebrate the outstanding achievements of individuals and grounds teams across all levels of sport

“The talent celebrated throughout the event is testament to the hard work and innovation of grounds staff across the sector, and we’re always delighted to see exceptional examples recongised and celebrated for their achievements. The iconic AMT Headingly Stadium provided the perfect backdrop for the awards.

“There were many highlights on the night, including two women taking home the Young Groundsperson of the Year and Newcomer of the Year awards – opening the sector to a wider demographic has long been an objective of the GMA’s work, so to see two young women receiving recognition on the night was a real sign of progress.

“The surprise on Rod Heyhoe and Lee Marshallsay’s faces represented the full spectrum of exceptional grounds managers, from volunteers to professionals, as they received recognition for their outstanding contribution to sports turf. The story of Zeynu Bedru, who received a Special Recognition Award, and his journey as a refugee from Eritea to Harrogate RUFC, summed up the wonderful community our industry creates.”

The winners of the GMA Industry Awards 2023 are:

Young Groundsperson of the Year – Sponsored by Origin Amenity Solutions
Bethany Gibbs Wellington School

Newcomer of the Year
Meg Lay Gloucestershire CCC

Volunteer Groundsperson or Team of the Year
Clapton Community F.C

Community Groundsperson or Team of the Year – Sponsored by National Governing Bodies
Yeovil Recreation Centre

Environmental and Sustainability Impact – Sponsored by Syngenta
Leicester City F.C

Bowls/Croquet Groundsperson or Team of the Year
Wantage Bowling Club

Best Managed Artificial Surface of the Year
Yeovil Recreation Centre

Professional Horse Racing Grounds Team of the Year – Sponsored by Avant Tecno UK LTD
Lingfield Park

Professional Cricket Grounds Team of the Year
Marylebone CC

Professional Tennis Courts Grounds Team of the Year – Sponsored by Infinicut
Devonshire Park

Professional Rugby Union Grounds Team of the Year
Bath Rugby

Professional Rugby League Grounds Team of the Year – Sponsored by Agronomic Services Ltd
Leeds Rhinos

Professional Football Grounds Team of the Year
Stockport County F.C

Professional Football Grounds Team (Elite) – Sponsored by SGL
Leicester City F.C

University/College Grounds Team of the Year
Loughborough University

Independent School Grounds Team of the Year – Sponsored by ISEKI UK & Ireland
Eton College

Special Recognition Award
Zeynu Bedru Harrogate RUFC

GMA Grounds Manager of the Year – Sponsored by DLF Seeds Ltd
Lee Marshallsay Eton College

The GMA is hugely grateful for the GMA Industry Awards sponsors for their support of the industry:

Platinum sponsor and Independent School Grounds Team of the Year Category sponsor

ISEKI

Award Category sponsors

Amenity Solutions

National Governing Bodies (RFL, RFU, ECB, Premier League)

Syngenta

Avant Tecno UK

Infinicut

Agronomic

SGL

DLF Seeds

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Syn-Pro by SISIS exhibiting at SFMA

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Syn-Pro by SISIS exhibiting at SFMA: Syn-Pro by SISIS has announced that it will be exhibiting at the Sports Field Managers Association (SFMA) Conference & Exhibition – which will be held at Ocean Center, Daytona Beach, between 22 – 25 January 2024.

The SFMA Conference & Exhibition goes from strength to strength each year. With a great line up of exhibitors and powerful education programmes, the event provides an excellent opportunity to enhance knowledge and see the most innovative turf maintenance equipment from around the globe.

Syn-Pro by SISIS exhibiting at SFMA

Syn-Pro by SISIS exhibiting at SFMA

Syn-Pro by SISIS will be located on Booth No. 230. The products are in high demand throughout the USA, and therefore visitors to the exhibition will be pleased to see two headline acts on the stand in the form of the SSS1000 sweeper and the Brush-Pro.

SSS1000 sweeper

The SSS1000 is a towed sweeper which can be pulled by any vehicle. There are no tools required for the adjustment of the brush or the angle of the draw bar and to make storage easy the draw bar lifts to an upright position. With an aluminium hopper with stainless steel mesh, any infill that is collected when using the machine is returned back down to the surface leaving it free from contamination of debris.

SISIS Brush-Pro    

The SISIS Brush-Pro is a ride-on brushing system comprising a pair of mid mounted oscillating units and three rear mounted brush units that have been specifically designed for maintaining synthetic surfaces. The machine has been designed for maximum manoeuvrability and operator comfort which features an electric start, hydrostatic drive for forward/reverse and its brush combinations – oscillating for thorough periodic work and rear mounted brushes for more routine work.

As well as the products being on show, the experienced Syn-Pro team will be on hand to offer advice on how to maintain your Syn Pro equipment.

For further information or a no obligation demonstration, please contact Syn-Pro by SISIS on 01332 824 777 or visit www.synprobysisis.com

For more news, reviews and insightful views, you can follow Syn-Pro on Twitter or Instagram @synprobysisis and like the company’s Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/SynPro-by-SISIS.

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MP Gets a Look at High-Tech Facilities

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MP Gets a Look at High-Tech Facilities: Local MP, Tom Tugendhat, got a first-hand look at the work Hadlow College is doing to inspire the next generation of students when he visited the College’s state-of-the-art glasshouse.

Constructed in 2022, the glasshouse plays an integral part in horticulture courses and features cutting edge technology, including:

MP Gets a Look at High-Tech Facilities

MP Gets a Look at High-Tech Facilities

  • Suspended gutters running hydroponics for tomatoes and peppers in separate houses
  • LED and High Pressure sodium lighting
  • Vertical growing farm
  • Latest environmental control computers – PRIVA
  • Fogging systems for plant propagation
  • Dedicated space for individual glasshouse research
  • Outdoor standing down beds for shrub and herbaceous plant production
  • New structures for seasonal bedding plant production

Students work alongside practitioners from leading industry grower Thanet Earth to develop their skills and produce hydroponic tomatoes in the Venlo glasshouse.

The tomatoes are grown on a rockwool system using the industry training system known as layering. Scissor lifts are employed to allow students under supervision to work on the crop at height to carry out all the necessary cultural requirements of the crop. Biological control is used to control any unwanted pests, these are populations of beneficial insects.

The Venlo glasshouse is operated using PRIVA environmental control computers which also control the vertical growing farm where students grow a range of salad crops from seed and harvested as micro leaves in as little as three weeks for some crops.

A misting unit is also built into the glasshouse for the propagation of a wide range of plants from both stem cuttings and seeds with the aim of these finished plants being sold at pop-up plant sales which take place every Wednesday afternoon from 1pm to 4pm at the College outside the glasshouse.

Tom Tugendhat, Member of Parliament for Tonbridge and Malling, enjoyed his visit, saying: “The new glasshouse offers a brilliant opportunity for students to work alongside and learn from the fantastic team at Thanet Earth and I’m sure it will go a long way in supporting their development.”

“It is fantastic to see investment into our community like this. I had a great time visiting the new glasshouse at Hadlow College and it really shows how invested they are in our community.”

Chris Lydon, Vice Principal of Hadlow College, said: “We are proud to be working with Thanet Earth to produce tomatoes in our new Venlo glasshouse. This unique partnership gives students the best opportunities to develop their skills working alongside current practitioners from a leading industry grower and the produce from the tomato crop is used on site in our own student eatery and also distributed by Fair Share.”

Rob James, Technical Director of Thanet Earth added: “We have a long standing relationship with Hadlow going back to 2011 when we set up our first Fellowship with the college, the facilities we now have on site are perfect for nurturing the next generation of experts in our industry.”

The glasshouse illustrates a commitment from the College to regenerative farming and horticulture, using practices that minimize harm to the environment.

Unveiled earlier this year, the College also has a ‘robotic orchard and vineyard’.

This two-hectare area, showcases the latest technology including automated AI management systems, a state of the art irrigation, fertigation and frost protection system and automated fruit picking.

The crops are grown with sustainability in mind at all times. Drones are used to monitor bud set, predict yields and monitor the growth of the crop allowing precise applications of nutrition, pest and disease control methods to be used.

Sensors installed throughout the orchard monitor, amongst other things, moisture, relative humidity, PAR and rain fall.

To learn more about Thanet Earth, visit their website www.thanetearth.com

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Paul Smyth named General Manager at Wembley

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Paul Smyth named General Manager at Wembley: Wembley Stadium connected by EE has promoted Paul Smyth to the role of Stadium General Manager.

Smyth moves up from his previous position as Head of Event Operations. He will be responsible for overseeing the delivery of events at the stadium, in addition to managing day-to-day operations.

Paul Smyth named General Manager at Wembley

Paul Smyth named General Manager at Wembley

Having been part of the Wembley team since the new stadium opened in 2007, Smyth has contributed to numerous enhancements in event delivery, maintaining Wembley’s status as one of the world’s premier multi-purpose venues.

Recent accomplishments include the collaborative effort with his teams to introduce two sensory rooms and British Sign Language (BSL) at every event. These initiatives have played a huge part in reinforcing Wembley’s commitment to leading on inclusivity.

Smyth’s promotion coincides with the departure of Stadium Director Liam Boylan, who, after nine successful years, is embarking on a new venture in the music industry next year.

Chris Bryant, the current Director of Tournaments & Events at the FA, will serve as the Interim Stadium Director while the search for Boylan’s successor is underway.

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Hat trick for Toro at Middlesbrough

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Hat trick for Toro at Middlesbrough: Four pitches at Middlesbrough Football Club’s training ground at Rockliffe Park are seeing the results from improved accuracy, full coverage and the powerful control from a new Toro irrigation system.

According to Jack Cunningham, senior grounds supervisor, the growing-in process was the best it’s ever been, management and players, including the first team, have nothing but good feedback and the problems caused by having a windy site have become a thing of the past.

Hat trick for Toro at Middlesbrough

Hat trick for Toro at Middlesbrough

The club invested in the Toro Lynx LAC control system, 54 Infinity sprinklers and 74 B Series sprinklers with Turf Cups in phase one of a project which will, in time, see another two pitches follow suit.

Here, Jack discusses the highlights of the new system: “There’s a lot to like about this combination,” he says. “We’ve never had this level of consistency. The LAC system and being able to control the water application with pinpoint accuracy from a desktop or mobile device is a game-changer.”

Then there’s the B Series sprinklers with their trajectory settings, about which Jack says: “We have a windy site and the B Series trajectory settings means that’s now not a problem. They’re easily altered to counteract the wind and achieve consistent coverage.

“We also love how using the back nozzle doesn’t affect the front nozzle and how we can use the same set of parts for the perimeter and in-field sprinklers. It makes life really easy.”

As expected a highlight of the Infinity sprinklers is that they’re top accessible: “Being able to take the top off, which is easy by the way, change the decoders, alter trajectories, all without having to dig the heads out and risk damage to the turf is very very good,” Jack explains. “On top of that, it’s possible to turn the sprinkler by hand and not damage the gearing.”

All in all, it’s a winning combination for the club as Jack confirms: “Getting the surfaces ready for day-to-day training now is easy and we’ve benefitted massively from essentially being able to personalise the irrigation to suit the site and its specific requirements.

“Using the moisture control I put the water where I want it, in the quantity I want it, which means it’s not just the grow-in which has been the best ever but the subsequent maintenance of the quality of the playing surfaces.”

Choosing Toro was an easy decision for Jack, fueled by the relationship, back-up and aftercare service he knew he’d get from distributor Reesink Hydro-Scapes, says Jack: “We trialled the sprinklers and they were the most effective, and that coupled with the technical support and how nothing was too much trouble meant I just had faith in them from the beginning.”

To see how Toro irrigation can benefit your course, call Reesink Hydro-Scapes on 01480 226800, email info@reesinkturfcare.co.uk or visit reesinkturfcare.co.uk.

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